LOS ANGELES: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the atmosphere at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was “a bit strange” as his side began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in front of swathes of empty seats. The multi-purpose stadium has a 71,000 capacity but Monday’s group stage match, which kicked-off at 3 p.m., attracted little over 22,000 spectators. Atlanta is over 2,000 miles (3,220 km) away from Los Angeles, where Major League Soccer club LAFC are based. “It was a good match, a good performance,” Maresca told reporters.

Chelsea kick off their Fifa Club World Cup campaign against Los Angeles FC to tens of thousands of empty seats in Atlanta.

Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández struck as Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC